Worth the money or not !

[White Pass Outfitters]

Can someone tell me the difference between the EL and the SLC
the price difference is quite a bit. Is the glass the same ? Now I'm thinking going with the EL 12 X 50 or SLC 15 X 56 The price difference is $634 and the slc weighs 7oz more. Thanks for any input !

[Reidus]

Slc hd are really good. I''ve heard a lot of people swear by the 12x50 el's.  15×56 are pretty big. Mostly for tripod Mounting. If you're packing them around a lot and that's the only pair you bring, I'd go 12x50. I'd imagine some 12x50 el's on a tripod would be amazimg.

[Skyvalhunter]

Love my SLC's but last year purchased some 15X Vortex. Personally believe if you can get your hands on an older pair of SLC's at a decent price your are good to go as the glass hasn't gotten any better but the shape and style has.

[high country]

El with swarovision are like the nikon edg, they use field flattering to produce a crazy image BUT it's too much for some. Google "roling ball image " and it will help. The slc is like a traditional lens on steroids. If you've looked through leica/zeiss /swarovski in the past, this is what you will get. Neither is a dissapointment.

[jjhunter]

I bought the 12x50 EL and the 15x56 and packed both for a year to determine my preference between the two.  What I found was that the 12x was very close to my 10x and the 15x provided a significant increase in horsepower for the intermediate range glassing.   The 15x provided a "different view" of the same world.

I would 100% recommend a 10x and 15x first.  After that, a guy could go to a 12x or a BTX, Kowa, Doctor, etc to fill those niches or to use in specific terrain/hunting areas.

[jjhunter]

I went back and read the initial question...

The most important piece of gear that I own is my 10x rangefinding binoculars.   If a guy can afford a pair, this should be the first optics purchase.

I currently pack the EL Range in 10x, but have owned and hunted with the Zeiss RF and both Leicas (HD/R and HD-B).   They are all amazing and worth every penny - there are subtle differences in features, ergonomics and image.   Your decision will most likely come down to how they fit your hands/face or ride your chest.

   

[bearpaw]

Can someone tell me the difference between the EL and the SLC
the price difference is quite a bit. Is the glass the same ? Now I'm thinking going with the EL 12 X 50 or SLC 15 X 56 The price difference is $634 and the slc weighs 7oz more. Thanks for any input !

We've had some original SLC's for 20 years, my new 15x56 SLC's are a noticable improvement, but they say the EL's are higher quality, I can't see much difference in the glass myself. I love my 15x for sizing up game and long range spotting, but I don't like carrying them around my neck all day hiking or riding, then I prefer to carry 10x42's which are much lighter weight and less bulky. I don't have any 12x but want to compare them someday.

[high country]

Can someone tell me the difference between the EL and the SLC
the price difference is quite a bit. Is the glass the same ? Now I'm thinking going with the EL 12 X 50 or SLC 15 X 56 The price difference is $634 and the slc weighs 7oz more. Thanks for any input !

We've had some original SLC's for 20 years, my new 15x56 SLC's are a noticable improvement, but they say the EL's are higher quality, I can't see much difference in the glass myself. I love my 15x for sizing up game and long range spotting, but I don't like carrying them around my neck all day hiking or riding, then I prefer to carry 10x42's which are much lighter weight and less bulky. I don't have any 12x but want to compare them someday.

The difference between the SLC & SLC-NEU is absolutely worth going NEU, the difference between the EL & SLC-NEU is subjective to the viewer IMO.

[JDHasty]

Can someone tell me the difference between the EL and the SLC
the price difference is quite a bit. Is the glass the same ? Now I'm thinking going with the EL 12 X 50 or SLC 15 X 56 The price difference is $634 and the slc weighs 7oz more. Thanks for any input !

I wrote a bit on it in and earlier thread here

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,208187.0.html